Tag Archives: Womens Sports Foundation

February like no other

February is the shortest month of the year but it just might be the fittest. Have you honored your New Year’s dietary and exercise resolutions? Whether you have or whether you haven’t, I’ve got just the treat for you! A cool take on “abs are made in the kitchen,” I’m honored to present to you my newest fitness video –a collaboration with Monique Walton and the American Heart Association– Kitchen Workout. If you need encouragement of the daily variety, I’m excited to join new online outfit BK Nation as a wellness blogger and February #BKN28 Fitness Challenge Captain. There you’ll find my blog, “The Write Fit,”  in which I offer exercise tips, workout videos, giveaways and more. And if you prefer TV, I’ll be joining you every Tuesday at noon as a Sports Segment host on BK LIVE.

Why all of the health and sport talk, you ask? Because! On February 2nd, this team from my home town met this other team from my dad’s home town. The result? Seattle Seahawks won the Superbowl for the first time in franchise history! It’s American Heart Month; the 50th Anniversary in fact.  February 5th is National Girls and Women in Sports Day, championed by one of my favorite organizations, the Women’s Sports Foundation. February 7th is National Wear Day  — a day that celebrates heart disease prevention awareness. And February 7th is also the start of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Faster, Higher, Stronger! What a day it will be. RED, white and blue speeding all over the place!

For those of you who recall my time training for the Olympics in the sport of Skeleton, I’ve helped to design an Olympic themed workout with the editors of popular app and website DailyBurn. You can bet it will challenge all of your senses, especially common sense, if you accept the challenge! If you want to work out with me in person in New York City, I’ve developed a dynamic sand and alternative resistance training class called Manhattan Beach Workout. Talk about getting ready for Summer with plenty of time to spare! 

DailyBurn | Expert Contributor, Workout Design | FEB 2014
DailyBurn | Expert Contributor, Workout Design | FEB 2014

 

Oh, one more thing. We’ve been nominated for a Shorty Award in #SocialFitness! This online award recognizes people who “help others make healthy choices in their lives through their influence on social media.” If you’d like to vote, you can do so via Twitter by tweeting: “I nominate @AndiaWinslow  for a Shorty Award in #SocialFitness because…” Be certain to write in your reason after “because…” or the vote won’t count. Thank you for your continued support!

Get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia

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Celebrating our birthday anniversary!

A Poem by a non-poet

It started after we pressed record while awaiting laundry on spin cycle.
And then the cycle continued. Round and round.
We’ve had an awesome year thanks to YOU.
And by you, I mean you. All of you.
You, hooping in the (laundro)mat.
You, triceps dipping on street corner pylons.
You, pushing up while bearing down at work.
You, shopping bag biceps curling.
You, paint can russian twisting while painting the baby’s nursery.
You, overhead mailbox bin pressing while hall monitoring.
You are the #MOVEment.
Happy Birthday to you! Happy Anniversary too!

Get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia

National Women’s Health and Fitness Day Contest!

In honor of Women’s Health and Fitness Day, I’m launching a fun contest! Now here’s the catch. Both men and women can enter though you gentlemen would be entering in support of the women whom you may know and love. On to the prizes:

1st  In-person Wellness Consultation | 1HR Fitness Session | Swag: Fitness Apparel and Tasty/Healthy Delights (1 Winner)

2nd  Skype or Phone Call Wellness Consultation (3 Winners)

3rd  Small Group Fitness Session (10 Winners)

Photo Credit: Kerri Lynne Hamm
Photo Credit: Kerri Lynne Hamm

To enter: In 500 words (text) or 3 minutes (video) or less, please explain why you are in need of a wellness consultation. What challenges have you faced this year? What should I know about your story? What are your fitness goals for 2014? Be creative! Gentlemen entering on behalf of a gentlewoman, who is she to you? Why is she deserving? And how would this fitness session help her to jump-start the new year? Please email written responses and video links to TheFitCycle@gmail.com.

Rules: Entries close on Monday, October 7th at 9PM EST. Fitness sessions can be based in New York City, New York, and/or Phoenix, Arizona. Skype winners can be international. Phone call consultation winners must use a United States of America exchange only. One entry per person please. Winners selected by a panel of three (3) wellness industry judges. Prizes forfeited one year after award date if unused. No cash value or exchange of services permitted.

About Women’s Health and Fitness Day: Nation’s largest annual health promotion event for women of all ages. This year’s event is set for Wednesday, September 25, 2013, and in future years, is always be held on the last Wednesday in September. This unique national program — with participation by local organizations throughout the U.S. — focuses attention on the importance of regular physical activity and health awareness for women.

Get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia

Days 3,4 and 5: SXSW CliffsNotes!

What a week! Before we get to the highlights, let’s get to the shout outs! Special thanks to one Donell Creech, master and commander! His vision for Blacks in Technology was a complete success and we are proud to have been a part of his team’s groundbreaking efforts. Thank you too Hugh Forrest, Director of the SXSW Interactive Festival. He wrote me a personal note before I made the journey to Austin and that just set things off! A lot of people spent a lot of time working collaboratively to create the remarkable South by Southwest experience, we thank you all.

Adventure is near the beginning of the dictionary, and that is where this story will start too.

Monique was an all-star on a panel about the provocative Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained that included academics, film and cultural critics, filmmakers and activists. The room was PACKED and the conversation at times animated. *Disclaimer: the discussion was far superior to the actual film. That is not just my opinion, it is [reel] fact.

My panel was inspired by real people making real-time decisions about their health and livelihoods. Have to give it to my shredded counterparts for flexing on the shared mic and inspiring my early morning “vacation workouts.” I contemplated doing hanging abs from Adonis’ biceps but that might have been awkward, so I refrained.

Steve Garfield framed the SXSW experience as the sum of serendipitous meetings. We agree Steve, we agree. How’s meeting one’s cousin, James, for the very first time for $1,000, Alex? Oh! Daily Double. And then, of course, there will always be that time in which you meet your neighbor from Harlem while awaiting your tropical protein smoothie at a local Austin cafe. Rushing cabs and then sharing them with Microsoft developers and social media managers and journalists and literal world changers. Or, Sara Reinertsen on Trinity Street at 4PM — we both serve as ambassadors for the Women’s Sports Foundation. She couldn’t talk long as she was preparing for her own presentation –The Bionic Athlete– and an early morning run. Commitment.

We danced with the lead designer of standout app foursquare but were too nervous to two-step our way over to NY Times columnist David Carr who was really feeling the beat. Go ‘head with your bad self Dave, I see you. Maybe, in the tradition of SXSW, we’ll meet him randomly in the street here in New York. Or maybe it’ll be in Newark, home of the “Social Media Mayor” Cory Booker who we were excited to street meet. Cory is tall. Tall man swag. And brilliant too. His presentation was rated “top talk” and we know why. We were there. Check it out here. Speaking of brilliance –two words: Mae Jemison. Here are another two: Interstellar Travel. That’s what she said. Her panel may have been our favorite as she’s  made history –first woman of color in space– and continues making it with plans for the 100 year Starship: Yes,  “Daring makes a difference.”

Standing in line for the bathroom and being recognized as the “fitness girl from Forbes” always proves entertaining. It is a little less awkward when in broad daylight waiting for a grilled cheese sandwich though. It was tasty especially with the unicorn grilled on top. You might hear of Austin food truck lore and I am here to tell you that Grits and Greens prepared by local farmer Hoover Alexander is the best in town. Delicious, nutritious.

We were on our feet a lot. But promise of learning how to really play poker from a professional caused me to sit. Enter Edwardo Jackson, son of the 206. That’s the Seattle, WA interchange for those unfamiliar with the Emerald City. We sat for photographer Robert Fogarty and the Dear World campaign. Actually, that’s not true. We stood again while he took our photos.

But then we ran when a Twitter friend told us that a clip from our movie was being shared by Hugh Hefner’s daughter Christie Hefner, Executive  Chairman of Canyon Ranch Enterprises, across town at another SXSW panel. Her panel, sponsored by the world’s largest PR firm Edelman, explored “the research and anecdotes of how digital content can transform health, change attitudes and behaviors and turn knowledge into action through compelling storytelling across mediums.” How’s that for social media and contagious content!

We were featured in Black Enterprise before the week was over

I started with thanks, I’ll end with thanks. To those people doing good things for their communities and the planet, thank you. Personal best high jump high fives to scholar, activist and athlete Terri Givens of Take Back the Trail; the good people of organic neighborhood market The Boxcar Grocer in Atlanta, Georgia; the peace bringing RootWork of Naya Jones; and to the dedicated and impactful curation of Ashara Ekundayo of HUB Oakland. To those leading inspired and inspiring lives, big side-to-side bear hugs for you.

We look forward to next year. Until then, get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia